Adventures In Fruitasia
by AvengerPinkKunoichi
Summary: This is the story of a not-so-particular girl who lived in Fruitasia, but her life will be a total twist once she meets the fabled Fruit Ninjas, who will struggle hard to earn her trust and help her find a new home. What will happen between them? Will there be romance? Possibly. Will there be fruit fights? You bet! Will people have fun reading this story? Absolutely! DISCONTINUED!
1. Introduction

Author's note: Yeah, I know, most of my Fruit Ninja stories either sucked or were a total failure. Let's hope this one doesn't turn suckish or get discontinued.

That's my note for now. Please enjoy this story. :)

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Welcome to Fruitasia. A place beyond what we know from the Fruit Ninja universe, set on a world far away from our own.

Fruitasia wasn't your ordinary home. Its fine, Japanese touches gave people their warm welcomes. The Sun and the traditional cherry blossom trees were always present during the colorful season of Spring.

The people who lived there were active and serene. The food that grew there was highly productive, also delicious. Activities, sacred ceremonies and festivals in Fruitasia weren't like any other, and there were also shrines and fields where people could relax and meditate.

But as mentioned, Fruitasia wasn't your ordinary home. Why? Because this big piece of land, besides having such amazing people, cultures and traditions, was the home of a young gang of apprentices they all called...

... _Fruit Ninjas_.

If you actually thought ninjas hate fruits, then you're wrong.

Meet Katsuro, a pineapple-theme ninja teen with absolute skills and a big pack of self-confidence. He's gotta watch out, though. Sometimes he's a little troublesome because of his overconfident personality.

Mari's not the typical girl you see in the streets, or at home! For this strawberry-theme kunoichi, life's too short to stand on a corner and be absolutely bored. She usually likes to prank her friends and play tricks with them as well as with her foes. Even if she doesn't have much strength, she's fast, smart, bright and highly energetic. So if you're looking for fun, just find Mari and you'll laugh your stomach out all day!

Nobu's the gentle one of the team, but the watermelon-themed ninja can be a really formidable opponent if you ever dare face him. His thoughts about a fight? He'd rather choose talking things through than starting a crazy fight.

No matter what situation happens, Han is always calm. This apple-themed ninja is nicknamed the self-styled "Sensei of Cool", possibly because of his personality traits. His best skill as a Fruit Ninja is precision. If you throw a kunai at a target and fail, Han will teach you how to throw it the right way. Also, he's known to have a big rivalry with Katsuro.

Of course, these younglings never trained alone. They were always guided by their one and only master, Sensei. So far, Sensei is the only one who knows every and each of the sacred ways of the Fruit Ninja, and he hopes Katsuro, Mari, Nobu and Han learn and master these ways with honor and respect. And hopefully, the four students would become his successors in the future.

And what could be more adorable than a mascot? Well, more adorable than Truffles? I doubt there is! This little curious pig is a huge strawberry lover, and he can sometimes step on a dangerous field if he's not careful. Sensei never liked whenever a hungry Truffles snuck into the Fruit Ninja dojo while the ninjas were in training.

And last but not least, we have a ninja merchant! Gutsu's cart might be equipped with delicious fruit, but it's also packed with all kinds of ninja weapons. Only with starfruit can a ninja earn these.

These ninjas, besides training, also had their little face-offs against one certain evil student.

Their enemy was known as Rinjin. A highly skilled yet ruthless ninja who didn't respect the sacred ways of the Fruit Ninja. In short, Rinjin was sort of like a little rebel. His reasons of becoming a villain were still unknown.

But what was more unknown to this ninjas was...

...a new guest was coming...

...and _she_ was not a particular resident of Fruitasia.

She was more than that.


	2. The New Girl

Chapter 2: The New Girl

Author's note: 8 views in one day! Thanks a lot, guys! I hope you're enjoying this story!

Read on, folks, :)

* * *

That day had passed slowly, but an afternoon came, making the skies look more blue and full of life.

An exhausted Truffles came all the way up the high mountain along with Gutsu and his cart of fruity merchandise. It was time to sell some things.

And right on time, the Fruit Ninjas came out to greet him.

"About time!" Mari squeaked with excitement, running towards the cart. She held her stomach. "Gosh, I'm starving! Five strawberries, please."

She handed Gutsu ten starfruits and picked the strawberries to eat. Leaning against the cart, she chewed her first strawberry.

"Mhmm. I love how sweet these are!"

Truffles approached her with a puppy-like gesture that looked so adorable it was hard for her to say no to such a cute creature.

"Aw, want some? Here you go."

She kneeled to him and gave him a strawberry. Truffles ate it happily. His cuteness made her smile and giggle.

"You're a good boy." Shs said as she rubbed his back like a puppy. "Who's a good boy? You are!"

Like a dog loving its owner, Truffles jumped over her, making her fall on her back, and sniffed her face. Mari had to shut her eyes closed for all the ticklishness of his cute little nose.

"Truffles, that tickles!" Mari giggled, repeatedly moving her head from side to side.

"Hey, Gutsu!" Katsuro called, approaching the ninja merchant. "Got some new stuff?"

Truffles jumped off of Mari and gently pushed Gutsu with his head, smiling. Gutsu also smiled with delight.

"Well of course!"

The piggy soon kicked a cart's wheel with his back paws, and the rack of fruity merchandise was switched to ninja merchandise. Shurikens, smokebombs, and mostly swords were shown. All the Fruit Ninjas had their looks of awe.

" _Sugoi_!" Mari smiled. "How much for those precious fireworks?"

"Oh, these? They're at a special discount today! Six for 200 starfruit!"

Mari's cheer was turned off. "Aw. I guess I'm kind of out."

Nobu rested a supporting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe next time, Mari."

She smiled again. "Yeah, it's not forever that I won't make any more sweet pranks, you know?"

"I'll take those." Han pointed to a pair of kunai knives that looked really good.

"Um, sure! 100 starfruit, please."

Han payed the required amount and took the kunai knives. Testing them, he found them very useful.

"They're perfect."

"Not as perfect as my skills." Katsuro laughed, irritating the apple-themed ninja.

Han pouted at him. "Huh. As if you were the only ninja in this village."

"Boys, please, don't fight. We all know what Sensei is capable of." Nobu said.

"Ugh! Don't tell me about it." Mari said with dismay.

"Relax, we're not going to fight."

"You sound too confident, Katsuro. Be careful. You better not mess with the best ninja of the village."

"I'll buy the Bamboo Shoot, please."

Ignoring him, Katsuro gave Gutsu 2,000 sparkly starfruit that made everyone's mouths drop. Han did showed impression, but then crossed his arms and pouted, looking away.

"So, who's up for some prank games?" Mari pumped up a fist, but the ninjas didn't seemed to pay much attention to her while Katsuro payed and tested his new sword on some fruit. She lowered her arm back down.

"Oh. Uh, never mind then."

...

Later that afternoon, while the Sun slowly fell into the horizon, a hooded figure ran up that same mountain and rested her arm on one of the stone sculptures at the entrance of the field that was next to the Fruit Ninja dojo. This female seemed to be exhausted after so much running. Silent, almost whisperous panting was heard from her.

Shiny pink eyes looked around the field. There was nothing but at least a few fruit barrels around.

Her stomach grumbled.

The female was hungry, so hungry that she rammed at the first barrel she caught in sight and threw it over, then she dug through each fruit in search for a delicious red apple.

Fruits were scattered everywhere in the field. Pineapples, pears, strawberries, oranges, plums... The hungry girl threw each and every fruit everywhere like she just didn't care. All she wanted so badly was at least one red apple.

Now almost inside the barrel, the girl keep throwing fruit out until she popped out of the barrel with a plastered smile on her face. She just found a red apple. But just when she was about to chew it, the doors of the dojo opened. The girl gasped and quickly hid away.

A down Mari walked out of the dojo with a piece of watermelon in hand. Lately the ninjas had a little fruit break after their usual training.

"Aw. I just want to have fun and the boys don't want to play pranks with me! Now I'll be bored." Mari then took a bite of her watermelon slice, looking around in boredom.

The mysterious girl peeked her head down. She managed to hide within the branches of the cherry blossom tree that was near the entrance of the open spaces next to the dojo. It was funny because her suit camouflaged itself with the cherry blossom flowers.

"Whoa! What's all this mess?"

Finally noticing it, Mari looked around with more alert. The mysterious girl hid back in, nervous to be found. She accidentally made some of the flowers rustle, and more and more petals softly fell to the ground.

Suddenly, Mari felt it, and an "evil" grin escaped from her face. One look just like the time she threw countless strawberries at Han and the boys.

She chuckled. "Okay, boys. If you're playing tricks with me, I won't fall so easily. Here I come!"

The mysterious girl gulped, her heart raced.

Mari took stealthy steps towards the tree the mystery girl was hiding. Her heart pumped harder and harder against the muscles in her chest, making it jump up and down.

"Okay! Ready or not, I'm gonna' find you!" Mari exclaimed playfully.

The girl shut her eyes closed for a second. Just then... nothing. She never heard Mari's stealthy steps nor saw her anywhere when she peeked her head out of the tree. Leaning back, the girl breathed out in pure relief, but failed to notice Mari was standing right behind her back.

When she felt a nerve that instantly told her that, the girl slowly turned around and gasped hard.

Mari waved a hand, greeting the girl in the kindest way. "Hi!"

"Bwaah!"

Falling to the ground, the girl crawled backwards as Mari approached her.

"Hey, Mari, who was that?"

The pink-haired girl hid away once again. This time she hid behind the tree. She knew they were talking about her and didn't found a way out of it as she was already caught like a deer on a spotlight.

"Dunno." Mari shrugged. "She looked so frightened."

Feeling pity for the girl, Mari sneaked around the tree until she finally found her. She was holding her knees to her chest, and was panting heavily. She indeed was frightened.

"Hey, it's okay." Mari said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl's eyes gazed her carefully. Mari didn't looked offensive to her, and her kindness showed that she could trust her.

The girl slowly removed her hood and revealed herself to Mari. She was just a child! The frightened face of a 14 year-old kid with a ruby gem on her forehead amazed both Mari and the boys who approached her next.

"It's just a... child." Katsuro said, his eyes never stopped looking at the innocent girl.

Mari offered the girl her hand. The girl didn't hesitated to take it, and she was helped to her feet right away.

"Who are you? Are you, like, another Fruit Ninja? A transferred student?"

"Uh, no. I really aren't like your kind."

Her soft, calm voice made Katsuro's heart pound. He let out a sigj, imagining a small scene of him and the girl together. In the daydream, Katsuro impressed her with his skills, and he even heard her talking.

"You are the greatest Fruit Ninja, Katsuro. Just keep doing what you do. You are awesome. But you got to-"

"Hey!" Han smacked Katsuro on the back of his head, waking him from his daydreams.

"Ow!" He scowled. "What?"

Han glared him very seriously. "Stop acting like a crazy love machine in front of the child."

"What? I am certainly not-!"

"Ahem!" The girl cleared her throat.

All the ninjas payed attention to her.

"I am very sorry for being such a nuisance, but I think it's best that I leave for your own sake."

"Sake? You've never hurt any of us." Katsuro said, sort of confused.

"That's the thing. I don't want to hurt you just because I'm way different than you all are."

"Aw." Mari approached her and held her shoulders. "Don't you worry. It's okay to be different. It makes you special."

The girl shook her head. "You don't understand my point, lady. I am different, like, in a drastic way."

"Well, it's okay! Can we at least know about you? Because you're so cute!" She playfully held her cheeks.

"Uh, thanks, but I seriously have to go." She gently snatched Mari's hands off her face and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Katsuro yelled.

Now next to her, Katsuro wanted to ask her one more thing.

"Where are you from really?"

"Please, let me go. I don't have enough time like to..."

The girl suddenly rolled her eyes back and passed out on the ground. Gasping, Katsuro kneeled to her.

"Uh... okay?" He shook her numerous times with no results.

Han took a knee next to her. They all noticed she was breathing fine and well.

"She should be fine. Maybe she just fainted is all."

"Should we tell Sensei about this?" Mari asked.

"And get ourselves punished?" Katsuro asked.

Han shook his head. "We can't keep her as a secret from Sensei. I'll tell him."

Katsuro held the girl to his chest. Her skin was a little cold.

"I'll go with you." Said Mari, joining Han.

As both left, Nobu took notice of the ruby in the girl's forehead. There wasn't just a gem, but a whole precious tiara that surrounded her head.

"Is she a princess?" He asked.

Katsuro removed the bangs that hid her tiara, and saw it carefully. The pieces were made with pure gold, and the gems were all sparkly and real to their sight.

Katsuro eyed the girl. She moved her head towards his chest and breathed out a puff of air.

"Is this possible?"

...

Meanwhile, a dark figure hid behind the stone sculptures at the entrance. His golden eyes maliciously glanced the unconscious girl and Katsuro. He grinned.

"I finally found you, _princess_."


	3. Princess Kazeko Of Fruitasia

Chapter 3: Princess Kazeko Of Fruitasia

Author's note: OMG! 82 VIEWS! I'M SO HAPPY! THANKS A LOT, GUYS! PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

Though... I would like to hear your thoughts on this story.

Please leave a review! :3

* * *

Images of the point of view of a girl running were shown. They constantly changed from one scene to another. The girl seemed to set traps for unknown reasons, but she just kept running.

The images changed to a scene of a spot with no way out. The girl stopped and looked around. That spot seemed to be the edge of the forest.

But when she turned around, a young man stood there.

"Stay away from me!" She cried.

As he paced towards her, the guy, Rinjin, also known as the evil student, dug out a small artifact from his satchel. Something that made the girl gasp.

But suddenly, the dream ended.

...

Pink, sad eyes slowly woke up to the sunshine. The pink girl found herself laying on a very soft and comfortable bed, covered in soft, warm golden yellow sheets. She could tell her sleep was pleasant despite the little memory.

Actually, after telling Sensei about her, Han decided to keep her with him for safety.

As he kept practicing with his new kunai knives, shooting them at numerous targets, Han remembered what he was told.

 _Flashback..._

In the dojo, Han and Mari consulted Sensei for help. They told him every detail about the girl and how she found their whereabouts.

"I found her hiding. We don't know where she's from, but she's just a child. A frightened one at that."

Han and Mari led Sensei outside, where the girl was. She was still under Katsuro's care. Sensei was quck to notice the royal crown in her forehead.

"She is indeed the Princess of Fruitasia."

The ninjas gasped. "Eh?"

"Do you know her, Sensei?" Katsuro asked.

"I only know the story of her family. The Emperors of Fruitasia, great rulers... until their fate was changed by an unknown enemy."

The girl let out calm breathings as Sensei spoke.

"Long ago, her empire was attacked. Her parents unfortunately were thought missing after such battle. She was the only royal member to make it out of the palace safely."

"No wonder she seemed so hungry and exhausted." Mari commented.

"This child needs a safer place. Fruit Ninjas, now it is your duty to keep her safe. I fear more enemies will come for her. It's up to you to protect our one and only princess."

" _Hai_ , Sensei." Han nodded.

...

Han knew what Sensei meant. The little princess was now his responsibility. Fortunately, he knew how to managed that seriously.

Hearing the child moan, Han dropped his kunai and kneeled before her. The girl looked at him blankly as he stood up.

"Princess. How do you feel?"

The girl never said a thing. She just blinked.

"Don't you talk?"

The girl never answered.

"What's wrong?"

Her stomach grumbled. The girl held her belly. She never got to eat the apple she found hours ago.

"I bet you're starving, aren't you?"

Again, the child never said a thing.

Han walked over to a fruit barrel and picked a juicy red apple. With a kind smile, he went to give it to the young princess.

"Here. It's an apple. I thought you might like it as much as I do, I guess." He looked away, sort of doubtful.

The girl accepted the apple nicely. Looking at it, she thought of his own words.

"I do like apples, actually."

Han was surprised at her sweet voice. "Huh?"

"Thank you."

Her teeth slowly bit the apple. When she felt the flavor, her eyes grew big. Who knew such an apple could be so amazingly delicious?

For what seemed like the first time in a lifetime, the girl smiled down at the apple and chewed every bit of it. Her emotions made Han smile.

When she ended, she wiped her mouth with her fingertips and stared at Han.

"May I know the name of my savior?"

Han blushed. He wasn't exactly her savior, but he didn't wanted to be rude towards her. With respect, he touched his chest with one hand and bowed before the royal child.

"Uh... my name is Han. It's nice to meet you, Princess Kazeko of Fruitasia."

The girl blushed as well. "Huh? How do you know my name? How do you even know I'm a princess?"

Han sat next to her. "Princess, our Sensei knows about you."

"No, he doesn't. And he'll never know I'm different. That's why some guy's after me, because I'm not... ordinary."

Han raised an eyebrow. "In what sense actually?"

The girl stared deep into Han's gold eyes.

"You should never know either, for your sake."

Han raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just... please, don't ask, okay?"

She got out of the bed, feeling just fine.

"Hey, where are you going?"

The little princess whipped her hair. "I'm okay, Han. You don't need to feel concern towards me."

Han blushed. This princess was way strict than himself.

...

Back in the yard of the dojo, Katsuro, Nobu and Mari took a moment to relax. They were leaning their backs against one of the cherry blossom trees.

"Ah, that scent." Mari breathed. "It's so soft and sweet."

"You said that ten times now, Mari." Katsuro said. "I mean, seriously. You're repeating yourself often."

"Well, at least I'm not as self-centric as you are."

Katsuro's face turned red, but he quickly let it go when they all saw Han and the little princess coming.

" _Kon'nichiwa_." The ninjas bowed.

" _Gokigenyō._ " The princess saluted, also bowing. "So, are these your friends?"

Mari ran at her. "Oh yes we are! I'm so excited to meet you!"

Han sweatdropped, and Nobu scratched the back of his head.

"Eh, Mari, I suggest no physical touch towards the princess." Nobu suggested.

Mari blushed. "Oh. Um, _gomen'nasai_!"

It was an odd thing for the princess, but she smiled at Mari.

"It's okay."

"Eh?!" Katsuro and Han screamed with funny red faces while Nobu just stared with a blank expression.

"It's not every day that I befriend someone. Although, princesses don't have friends."

"Aw." Mari's face saddened. "Is it too hard being a princess?"

The girl's smile dropped. "Yeah. And even more when I'm living with my own shadow. But..." She quickly changed expressions and held Mari's shoulders gently. "...how about you? Are you some kind of ninja?"

"I'm a Fruit Ninja student." Mari did a big smile. " _Yoroshiko ne_."

"A Fruit Ninja student?" The princess repeated with widened eyes.

Soon, a memory filled her mind. It was about her practicing her skills with a katana when she was a kid. She barely remembered how to use a sword, but she couldn't remember what lessons she was given.

"Princess?" Mari called.

Leaving her thoughts, she saw Mari looking straight into her eyes. "Oh. Um, that sure sounds amazing. May I know your name?"

"Mari!" The strawberry girl exclaimed with excitement.

"Mari? That's a cute name. Perfect for a little rebel."

"Eh?" Mari raised an eyebrow.

"That's what your name means." The princess chuckled before coming across the pineapple ninja, who handsomely leaned his arm against the cherry blossom tree. He gave her a somewhat flirty look, trying to look awesome in front of her.

"Hey there. Name's Katsuro."

Han face-palmed with clenched teeth. Obviously that wasn't the correct gesture to say hello to a person with royal blood.

"Uh..." The girl blushed severely. There was something in Katsuro that made her heartbeat run away.

"I bet you're in absolute shock because I'm too awesome."

" _Kimochiwaru_." The girl scoffed and turned away.

"Eh?!" Katsuro squeaked, turning red with anger.

As a special treat, Nobu offered the princess countless slices of red apples. Bowing with respect, he introduced himself.

" _Gokigenyō_ , princess. I'm Nobu."

" _Gokigenyō_ , Nobu-san." The princess bowed before looking down at her offered treat. "Are those for me?"

"A kind princess deserves a sweet treat. Please do enjoy."

" _Arigatō_."

Feeling flattered, she kindly accepted the offered treat and sat on the ground to take a bite. Every apple slice was fresh, perfectly ripe and sweet.

Turning to Katsuro, who was still red and heating like a bull, Nobu gave him an important advice.

"I suggest you don't act like a stranger in front of the princess. We need to earn her trust so we can help her. It's what Sensei told us to do."

"Aw, come on. Admit it. I'm awesome. The kid was amazed by my presence."

Nobu shook his head. "Not in that way, Katsuro. You're being weird. A princess deserves respect, kindness and absolute praise. And just so you know, the right way to greet her is by saying "Your Highness", not just a plain hello."

"Eh? But I might look like a weirdo bowing and saying weird royal words before an absolutely ordinary person! That's not who I am!"

The princess gasped at his words of pride. Feeling a hot anger filling, she got up and turned to Katsuro.

"What did you called me?"

Katsuro crossed his arms. "An ordinary kid. And what gives? Royal people are just people, only with that name as an insignificant birthmark."

Mari and Nobu gasped while Han felt as angry as the princess felt. Katsuro was crossing the line with her and it was making her turn against him and possibly against the rest of the ninjas.

She strongly picked his ear, and with huge strength, threw him to the ground.

The rest had their priceless looks. Who knew such a kind and sweet princess had her own secrets?

When Katsuro was about to rub his ear to rid the pain, the princess held his chest down with her foot.

"Listen up, lowly peasant! Just so you know, I deserve praise, kindness, and overall respect!"

"That's just what I told him." Nobu muttered to Han.

"Your actions towards me are nothing but stupid!"

Now they all were getting scared. Obviously except for Han.

"Han, please do something!" Mari whispered, hiding behind him. "She's gonna' explode and hurt him if she gets angrier!"

"Okay! Can you please let me go? You're squeezing my lungs."

"No! I'm certainly NOT letting you go until you know what it means to respect a real princess!"

Suddenly, the clouds turned black and gathered in the sky. The winds roared aggressively, pushing every fallen petal and leaf to one direction. The Fruit Ninjas saw that coming before the princess realized...

...she revealed her true self...

...the princess had wind powers.

When it all hit her, she gasped and ran away, scared of what the ninjas would think of her.

"Princess, wait!"

The wind storm was too strong for them that they had to wait until it was gone so they could find her.

But the princess ran too far.


	4. Katsuro's Punishment

Chapter 4: Katsuro's Punishment

Author's note: The views keep increasing! I hope you're enjoying this story! :)

* * *

The Fruit Ninjas reunited with Sensei. After the little princess ran away, they all pouted at Katsuro, who sweatdropped and nervously smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"Heh. I guess I used the wrong foot here, didn't I?"

Even Mari gave him a bad look. But Han's look was like he wanted to explode.

"Katsuro, your actions towards the princess were very unpolite." Spoke Sensei with a strict tone.

"Eh?" Katsuro blinked.

Sensei sighed. "Your duty was to help the princess. I honestly despise having to set a punishment on you, but it's for the best that you learn an important lesson."

Katsuro sighed, bowing his head down. "A punishment..."

Sensei put his hands on his back. "For the next 100 days you will be in charge of every chores the princess and I will assign you."

"Eh?! Chores?!" Katsuro exclaimed.

"Once your punishment is complete, you'll be free to continue your training." Sensei continued.

Katsuro hated it, but he just had to obey. " _Hai_ , Sensei."

Sensei nodded. "Very well. Han, Mari, you two shall look for the princess. Nobu will stay and supervise Katsuro's every move. If there's something out of normal, report back to me."

Mari, Han and Nobu nodded. " _Hai_ , Sensei."

As Han and Mari left, Sensei gave Katsuro a full set of tools for his first chores. In a box he saw many building tools, wood and some nails.

"What am I supposed to do with these?"

Handing him a hammer, Sensei just crossed his arms at him. Katsuro then knew exactly what Sensei wanted him to do.

...

The little princess escaped to the Bamboo Forest, far enough so the Fruit Ninjas couldn't find her. But the truth is, they did.

The princess laid on her side, sobbing and whimpering in silence. Tears dripped from her eyes. The birds of the forest sang a beautiful song of consolation while the child just kept crying.

In front of her eyes bounced a strawberry. Looking at it, she wondered who threw it there.

"Princess Kazeko!"

"Han, Mari." She said, sitting up. The ninjas already found her, and were very worried.

"Princess, you can't just run away like that. It's not safe here in the woods." Said Han.

Kazeko laid back down. "I don't care about being safe anymore. I want to be alone."

Han sighed. "Princess..."

"Please stop calling me that."

Stroking the grass, Kazeko thought about the time she tried to hurt Katsuro.

"You saw what I did to Katsuro. You saw my power. I'm a danger to people. I'm a danger to my whole empire, that's why some enemy attacked my family. It's my fault that Mom and Dad are still missing while I'm just... unfairly alive."

Mari gasped. She quickly sat next to the sorrowful princess and stroked her arms.

"Princess, don't say that! Blaming yourself is pointless. I mean, I don't think what happened in your past was your fault."

"Yes it is, Mari. It's all because of my power that my empire is gone. There's no escape from all this mourning."

"Princess... please understand, we just want to help you."

"Mari, please, don't worry yourself. I just want to be alone."

Mari turned sad for a moment, but then smiled playfully and helped Kazeko sit up. "Aw, come on! You don't really want to be alone. I know it because I feel it..." Mari then placed a hand on her chest. "...in here."

The royal girl was confused. "Why are you touching your heart?"

Mari grasped her hand and put it in the center of her chest. The girl felt her own heartbeat.

"What do you feel?" Mari asked, getting close to her.

"This lonely heart... Mari, why are you doing this?"

Mari had no other choice but to embrace her in a tight but warm hug. The princess was stunned by the young kunoichi's actions until she felt all warmth filling her heart and making it race every second. Just then, the princess also hugged Mari. It made the strawberry girl giggle. She then let go of the princess.

"Just know you can trust me, princess. Despite my pranks, I'm a totally cool person, and a friend you'd want to have. I seriously despise being bored. Believe me, fun is my favorite theme of the day!"

"Fun? I... I never had fun in my life."

"With me you will! Just come back, please! We don't want to see you all isolated like this. You need a place to stay. Come with me."

The princess thought, not with her head, but with her heart.

"Alright." She nodded.

"Yay! Come on! The others are waiting for us!"

Han smiled at what Mari did to help the Princess regain their trust. As they walked out, he couldn't help but smile at her, but her sharp gaze made him blush hard.

But suddenly, a rustle crept them out. They stopped and looked around, but saw nothing.

"M-Mari?" Kazeko whispered.

A bomb was thrown to the ground a few feet aside, where it exploded, and a huge amount of smoke covered the spot. The princess hugged Mari for comfort.

"What was that?"

"It's okay. Maybe it's some jerk who wants to play tricks with us. Come on."

Another bomb detonated in front of them. The three coughed for the smoke filling their lungs.

"Mari, take the princess!"

Mari's eyes stared at Han with a hinted look of worry. "What about you?"

Han grasped her arms. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Now go."

"H- _Hai_!"

Mari was quick to scoop the girl in her arms and sprint away, despite her protests.

Meanwhile, Han took out his kunai weapon, ready to face his enemy.

"Let's get this over with." He muttered.

...

Repetitive bangs were heard in a spot of the village area where the Fruit Ninjas resided. Katsuro's first assignment was to build a well constructed house for the princess.

Banging down the nails with the hammer, Katsuro fell all sweat falling down his face. He barely started out with the floors. The job sure was exhausting, but he had to do it because he disrespected the royal child.

"Stupid assignment!" Katsuro panted.

"Don't look at it that way, Katsuro." Nobu said as he approached him with a pair of wood sticks to help. "Sure, you must follow the rules Sensei told you, but don't stress yourself. At this rate, I bet the princess will forgive you for your actions."

"Uh huh. What side are you on, mine or hers?"

"Pride defines who you are, Katsuro, but it's really bad to have lots of it. Just think that your hospitality will bring a smile to the princess. That's one rule a servant must follow."

"I'm not a servant, I'm a Fruit Ninja! That doesn't make any sense!"

"It's not who you are what you should be focused on. It's your traits that truly define you. Having pride is highly rude."

"Then what's not rude? Does being awesome counts?"

"That's being self-centric, and also rude."

Katsuro groaned, dropping his tools and laying on the bit of wooden floor he built. He took various breaths as he bathed in the sunshine.

"Then what am I supposed to do? These things aren't cool."

"I suggest you change, Katsuro. Being cool and trying to fit in with the girls isn't what the princess wants. She deserves a gentle, kind and respectful man."

Katsuro scoffed. "Then you go for her."

Nobu blushed. "Um, I think we shouldn't talk about this further. We better keep going."

Standing up, Katsuro grabbed his tools and kept working.

He still wanted to stand awesome in front of the princess, but Nobu's words made him think about it.

...

Fortunately for the girls, they found a spot where they couldn't be found, but Mari kept looking around for suspicious activity.

Kazeko felt like she just had to face her enemy instead of Han. Afraid of feeling guilt, she turned to Mari.

"Why'd you let him all alone? He'll be in danger!"

Mari put a finger in Kazeko's lips. "Shh, shh, shh. Princess, please calm down. Han knows what he's doing. He's precise at everything." She then imagined hearts above her head. Joining her hands, she sighed. "And he's so awesome when he does."

Kazeko raised an eyebrow. "Are you in love with him?"

"Eh?" Mari stared at her with big eyes and an intense blush. "Ehm, not really."

"Ha. I bet your heart races when you look at him, or you feel like all oxygen leaves your lungs when you see him."

Mari squeezed her eyes and mouth before she carefully heard what Kazeko said. Her expression changed to a suspicious one.

"Waaiiiit, hold it there, champ. _How_ do you know about all of this? Have _you_ had a crush on someone?"

Now it was Kazeko's turn to blush.

"Um... I guess?"

Mari freaked out, shaking the princess like a plushie. "EH?! TELL ME ALL ABOUT HIM!"

"Um, well, he's pretty handsome himself. He has a nice smile, and... oh, his tangerine eyes...They seriously are bright and sparkly!"

Mari realized Kazeko's crush was...

"Really? Katsuro?"

"Huh?"

"Princess? Is Katsuro your crush?"

Hearing a bomb, Mari scooped the princess in her arms and ran at her highest speed. Indeed she was fast. So fast that it impressed Kazeko too much.

Hugging her chest, Kazeko shivered.

"Again?"

"It's okay! Just hold on!"

They both screamed when Han suddenly appeared in front of them. It seemed that their enemy attacked him, as he rolled on the ground until coming to a stop. And there's when he appeared in front of the girls.

Standing, Han felt some pain in a leg.

"Han, are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry." Han panted. "I got this."

"No, you don't." Another voice said.

Walking towards them was their enemy...

And his presence scared Kazeko to the point she nearly squeezed Mari.

Rinjin glanced at the princess.

"So, you finally chose to be with these losers who don't have even the slightest chance against me! Believe me, princess, you deserve a more real partner."

Kazeko hugged Mari tighter.

"I'm scared!" She whispered.

"Mari, get out of here."

"Not happening! I won't let you risk your life, Han!"

In a sudden, Han ran at Rinjin, and a small battle started.

Obviously Rinjin seemed to win, because his skills were greater than Han's, but Han stood his ground without quitting.

Afraid of seeing Han injured, Kazeko flinched.

"Mari, please do something!"

Mari thought hard until something came on the top of her mind.

"Stay here, 'kay?"

Kazeko nodded.

Seeing that Mari left the princess unprotected, Rinjin used that time as an advantage to hold her against Han.

"Ah! Han!"

"Princess!" He shouted, but he was frozen in place as Rinjin held her.

"Come on, face it! The princess will be mine before you know it!"

Suddenly, a flying kick courtesy of Mari knocked him off, instantly releasing Kazeko. Sketchy stars flew up and around his head. Kazeko ran back to Mari and hugged her.

"Whoa. Thanks, Mari." Han said calmly as usual.

"You're welcome, cutie- I mean, Han." She blushed. "Ahem! Let's go before he comes to!"

Han took the princess's hand and the three escaped.

...

The Sun was falling into the horizon, and by that time the Fruit Ninjas and the princess made it back to the village safely.

Kazeko was nervous of whether to thank Mari for saving her or not, but she shook away her doubts and spoke.

"Um, thank you very much for saving my life, Mari. I really owe you."

Mari smiled energetically. "No problem! Just know that I'm here when you need me."

She then thought about what Kazeko said, and decided to speak with her.

"Princess, what happened really?"

Kazeko stared at her. "Huh?"

"When you said "mourning", what do you mean actually?"

Kazeko sighed, looking away.

"Like I said, it was my power what destroyed my empire. When I was born, an evil sorcerer casted a spell on me. You might say it's amazing, but having such powers is not fun."

Kazeko sat on a corner, breathing out.

"If I could just give anything to be just... a girl."

Mari thought for a second, then an idea occurred.

"Hey...! Uh, what's your name?"

"Kazeko. Kazeko Sakurano."

Mari rubbed her chin. "Wind child, huh? It makes a lot of sense." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps, well, if Sensei let us... well, it might sound crazy and ridiculous but-"

"What, Mari?" Kazeko impatiently waited for Mari's question.

Mari's cheeks filled with air so much that they turned red. She was a little afraid of asking the princess such a big thing that could possibly change her life.

When her lungs were nearly in the need of air, Mari exhaled sharply and held Kazeko's hands. Big, vivid green eyes stared deep into Kazeko's eyes.

"Kazeko, please become a Fruit Ninja!"

Kazeko's eyes grew big.

"Eh?"

"Eh?" Han raised an eyebrow, showing surprised eyes.

The ninjas and the princess soon found Nobu, who greeted them.

"Welcome back! It's just about time."

"Hey, where's Katsuro?" Mari asked.

"He just left... but with a big surprise."

Kazeko raised an eyebrow. "Huh? A surprise?"

Mari giggled, shaking her. "I bet he found a pile of apples for you."

"Come on! Your surprise is this way!"

Nobu led the way. Kazeko still wondered what kind of surprise such a prideful ninja like Katsuro had for her. At first she thought it was a prank, but when she came upon a big object covered in a white cloth, Kazeko again raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?"

"Princess! About time you came!"

Covered in sweat and scratches was Katsuro, who despite being exhausted was still up and fine.

"My! What happened to your face! You look nasty!" Mari exclaimed, noticing his scratches and dirt.

"Well, turns out my first assignment is done. So, to you, Your Highness, here's your big gift."

When he uncovered the huge object, everyone was amazed, but Kazeko's look was the most priceless.

Katsuro built her own personal house!

With his bare hands!

Nobu felt proud of Katsuro's hardwork. He knew it was worth it.

"So, what do you think? Wanna' take a look inside?"

Kazeko was still so amazed, but she nodded anyways. Katsuro offered her his hand, and she kindly took it. When he led her inside, she was even more surprised!

The house looked perfect and beautiful. It had everything a princess needed. A backyard where she could meditate, a small spot to eat, a bed and some other things that looked princess-y.

Now going out, Kazeko stared deep into Katsuro's tangerine eyes.

"So all this time... you did this... for me?"

Katsuro nodded. And he was surprised when he heard her sobbing. Just then, she hugged him, crying with all joy in the world.

"Thank you!" She whimpered.

Mari joined her hands. "Aw. They look so cute together."

That day ended with Kazeko telling Sensei that Katsuro's duty was done, and that he shouldn't be roughly punished for three months. However, she asked if Katsuro could be in charge of her every need. She could be a bossy princess, but when she sees something well done, she always gives out a little selfless reward.

And that reward was finishing Katsuro's punishment once and for all.


	5. Bossy Princess

Chapter 5: Bossy Princess

Another beautiful day rised. Flowers bloomed and birds chirped.

At the princess's new house, the princess slept like an ordinary girl, all rolled on a side, sheets and pillows covering most of her body. She never snored, but some moans were heard from her. The Sun was starting to rise on her window, and the beams of light hit her eyes.

"Mmmm, Mari, please put the curtains." She moaned and rolled over.

...

In another house, a big female snore was heard. It was none but Mari in her sweet but heavy sleep.

Unlike the princess, Mari's body was all messed up in her bed. Her head hung on the edges as well as her arm, and she wasn't truly covered in her sheets that much.

As soon as she heard chirping birds, her eyes opened and she jumped out of bed.

"GOOD MORNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" She shouted out to her neighborhood, awakening most of her neighbors including Nobu and Han.

Nobu sweatdropped. "She did it again."

Han face-palmed, not truly saying anything.

...

Stretching out, Mari's smile never disappeared. Like any other day she was always hyped with energy.

"Ah, what a beautiful morning!" She gasped then, thinking about the princess. "Oh yes! I should wake the princess!"

Remembering the previous day, Mari's mind flashbacked...

...

Watching the sunset, Kazeko and Mari had a relaxing moment as friends. Mari laid on the grass and looked up to the high skies and glimmering stars.

"Ah, nature is such a wonder." Mari stretched her arms to the sky before looking at the sitting princess next to her. "Hey, princess, lay down with me."

Kazeko smiled, blushing a bit. She laid down afterwards.

Taking a breath, Kazeko smiled.

Stars sparked in the sky. The Sun was almost out of sight, and even some shooting stars were visible at plain sight.

"You're right, Mari, I do feel good. I think I should follow each of your lessons."

"I knew that laying on your back and relaxing could work for you! See? Sometimes you just need to let it all go."

Kazeko nodded, looking at the sky.

"So, princess, what's your favorite time of the day?"

"Any kind really, but... it would be wonderful if I watch the rising Sun one day."

...

Mari's smile grew big. She took a peep on her window and saw the Sun was barely rising, giving light and warmth to the village. Chuckling, she knew what to do.

"I'm gonna' wake the princess!"

She switched her strawberry pajamas for her usual strawberry kunoichi suit. She tied a tiny ponytail on her head and used a green headband, allowing her bangs cover most of her forehead.

And last, she wore her ninja sandals as she headed out.

 _A half a second later..._

 _(Oh my... Mari's just as fast as the Flash! xD)_

Mari entered the newly built house. She took a second to admire every detail.

"Hmm. Katsuro knows how to do stuff when he's motivated."

Her eyes turned to the sleeping princess. For Mari, the child looked adorable in her sleep.

"Aw. She's such a cutie little child!" Mari whispered with big, sparkly pupils. "Ahem! Time to wake her up."

She extended her hand and silently uncovered Kazeko's body from the pillows that covered her. Mari chose to leave her body warm under the sheets to avoid getting her sick. Nevertheless, Mari poked the princess's cheek slightly but constantly.

"Princess..."

The girl moaned and barely moved.

"Princess Kazeko?" Mari poked her again.

"Hmm?" Kazeko breathed.

"Hey, princess, it's time to rise and shine!"

Kazeko rolled over and slapped her hand on Mari's face. As she was still in a sleep, her hand fell down to the bed.

"Go to sleep, Mari. I'm tired."

Mari had a (-_-) sort of face.

"Mmh! But didn't you wanted to watch the beautiful sunrise? And maybe we can take a princess-y walk. Oh! And we can catch up some apples while we prank the boys!"

That rang a bell in Kazeko's head, and she quickly sat up with big eyes.

"Apples?"

Mari pointed a finger at her. "Aha! I hit the bull's eye!"

Kazeko raised an eyebrow at Mari's little metaphor.

"Huh?"

Mari readjusted her composure and bowed politely before the princess. "I mean, _ohayō_ , princess. How was your sleep?"

Kazeko walked over to the vanity she was given.

"When it's about playful female ninjas, let's say I didn't slept at all."

Mari nodded in understatement, but then realized what the princess said.

Redheaded, she turned to Kazeko.

"EH?!"

Sitting, she picked a hairbrush and gently brushed her soft, pink hair.

"It's fine, though. Some warm tea will wake me up. If only someone could make it for me, though. You know, it's horrible when someone like me doesn't know how to make tea."

Mari squeezed her fists.

"Mmmmmmmmmh! Oh! That's it!"

"Hmm?"

Quick as a flash, Mari left the princess's house and went straight to Katsuro's.

"Katsuro, I need your help!"

Mari just heard a big snore from Katsuro. She leaped to his bed like a kitten and jumped over him many times.

"Hey! Wake up! The princess needs you!"

Another snore.

"...I'm just awesome." Katsuro mumbled in his sleep and snored again.

Mari shook his body like crazy.

"Come on, you big pineapple sleepyhead! Wake up!" She muttered angrily.

Mari had no choice but to take desperate measures.

She took in all the air to her lungs and got ready for the big bang...

"KATSURO! YOU GOT INCOMING!"

"Aah! What is it? Is it Rinjin?!"

And he finally woke up.

But to his disgrace it was all a joke. Mari ended up laughing at his reaction, but turned serious after a short time of laughter.

Mari put her hands on her hips. "About time, you little green-haired dummy."

He raised an eyebrow. "Mari? Seriously? You sure have better ways to wake someone up, don't you?"

"Stop babbling and get up. The princess needs you right now."

...

Mari and Katsuro made it to the princess's house.

"She's at her balcony. You might want to get started by serving her breakfast."

Katsuro raised an eyebrow. "But, didn't you do that?"

Mari shook her head. "She asked me to get you here. I think that'll be up to you."

She ran off as quick as a roadrunner, leaving poor Katsuro to roughly use his head.

He clenched his teeth. "Uuuugh! What can a princess want for a time like this?"

When he looked around, he noticed a little scroll on the princess's bed. He rolled it open and read what it said.

"Two sliced apples, chamomile and anise tea, very warm, three chocolate buns, one dumpling, three cups of apple juice and four cups of fresh water?!"

His eyes widened at the long list.

"Whoa! This princess is such a big eater!"

"Excuse me?"

His pupils shrank when he heard the princess. She left the balcony to greet Katsuro.

" _Gokigenyō_ , Katsuro-kun."

Katsuro blushed at her sweet voice. It was sweeter than apples.

"G- _gokigenyō_ , princess Kazeko." He bowed.

"So, can you make my breakfast, please?"

Katsuro scratched the back of his head. "Heh. It's no problem!"

"Ah, thank you." Kazeko gave him a big hug and quickly let go. "I'll be at the balcony. If you need me, don't hesitate to ask me anything."

He watched her leave. His heart pounded hard, and a big smile brightened his face.

"Oh yeah."

...

Apples flew up in the air, and a sword cut them as fast as lightning. The slices of apples fell right on a plate Katsuro held with one foot.

He squished some more apples for the three cups of apple juice and heated some water on a cauldron for the tea.

Once the buns and dumpling were done, Katsuro took them and kicked them to another smaller plate. Then he poured the hot water carefully into a teapot, where the chamomile and anise tea was.

With style, Katsuro threw four portions of water to the air, and one by one, each portion fell on a single cup. He did the same for the three cups of apple juice.

"Ah, glad I'm done."

He took all the food in a tray and headed out.

...

Princess Kazeko was sitting at her dining table in the balcony, aimlessly looking at the sunrise. Her dream of looking at it came true, and a smile brightened her face.

"Uh... here's your... breakfast."

Katsuro placed the tray on the table. The princess had huge eyes then.

"Wow. I admit, you did amazed me this time, Katsuro-kun."

Katsuro smiled and blushed. She sounded so sweet.

They chimed their cups together and ate in silence.

 _Later..._

Kazeko's house looked completely disordered. The kitchen, the rooms, the balcony... Everything needed a cleanup.

"Now that we have enough energy, I think we should start with your chores."

Katsuro's face turned red. "EH?! B-B-But, princess, didn't you finished my punishment?!"

"I did, but I'm just one person, and my arms aren't as strong as yours. It'd be a pleasure it you help me."

Katsuro blushed harder. "Um, sure! Where should I start?"

"Let's see..."

Chore by chore, the princess had Katsuro serve her by cleaning every spot of the house.

Like a serious teacher yelling at her students, Kazeko yelled at Katsuro.

"The kitchen should be sparkly!"

Wiping the little counter, Katsuro nodded.

" _Hai_!"

"The dishes need to shine!"

Washing a plate, Katsuro didn't looked as much energetic as last time. Wiping out his sweat, he nodded.

" _Hai_!"

"The laundry has to smell like cherry blossoms!"

Scrubbing a fine dress, and feeling tired, Katsuro sweated more than usual. He nodded anyways.

"H- _Hai_!"

"The floors need to be clean and without any kind of dust!"

Now Katsuro felt exhausted. His face was red at the forehead and sort of like this (DX).

"*pant~* _Hai_!"

...

Almost every chore was done. But the bossy little princess forgot about one single thing.

As Katsuro drank countless cups of water, Kazeko thought of her balcony and garden. It was the last undone spot of her house.

"The last chore is to clean the balcony. You'll need to cut the grass, polish the table and chairs, and sweep the grounds. I think that's it for today."

Katsuro grinned with confidence. "Well, this should be easy." He unsheathed his sword and did a ninja pose. "At least for a Fruit Ninja."

Kazeko chuckled. "If you say so."

...

Katsuro was proven wrong. When he got to clean the balcony it costed him another billion drops of sweat to polish the little dining set and sweep the grounds. His face was as red as a cherry, and he couldn't stop panting and sweating.

Kazeko noticed and went to help. She gently wiped all the sweat from his head and cleaned his face with cold water. Then she gave him a cup of fresh juice to drink.

Next up was the grass. She never knew what was going through his head, but Katsuro purposely made decorations with the grass to supposedly impress the princess with his "awesomeness". She face-palmed, and went to Katsuro.

"Katsuro-kun, I never requested garden decorations."

Katsuro raised an eyebrow. "Eh? You didn't?"

She shook her head, took his sword and grasped it tight.

"I want THIS!"

 _*Slash!*_

 _*Slash!*_

 _*Slash!*_

She slashed every bush in the garden with strong arms. Though so much strength exhausted her energies. Now she was as sweaty and tired as Katsuro was minutes ago. It was so much that she fell to the ground on her back.

A shade covered the sunlight for her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Katsuro standing with a Japanese umbrella, a hand fan, a dry cloth and a cup of fresh water. Kazeko sat up, blushing. She obviously let Katsuro clean her face. His touch was soft and gentle. She blushed so hard when he touched her cheek with his bare hand. Smiling, he gave her the fan and the cup of water.

Both enjoyed the beautiful view of the garden...

...but that was until Mari broke in and surprised them with a BIG yell.

"PRINCESS!"

Kazeko fell on Katsuro's chest. She could tell he was scared too, as when she heard his heartbeat it raced a million miles! His strong heartbeat made hers race too, and she blushed real hard!

"Mari! You scared us both!" She exclaimed.

Mari jumped at her and grasped her hands.

"I told Sensei! He agreed with my request!"

"Wait, what?" Katsuro raised an eyebrow.

"I asked Sensei if Kazeko can be able to become a Fruit Ninja, and believe me, you'll both be surprised to hear what he said!"

"And what did Sensei said?" Katsuro asked.

* * *

Author's note: Sorry for the little cliffhanger, but I have to end this chapter for now. But more will come!

Please leave your review as your positive feedback means so much to me! :3

Stay cool, ninjas!


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